EDITORIAL MOTION, DRIVES & AUTOMATION Industry 4.0 – No longer a test area Dear readers, Did you attend this year’s HANOVER MESSE? If you were one of the 225,000 visitors, you will have discovered the benefits of digitalization for yourself. The world’s most important industry trade fair was launched with this exact promise, which should have been met. Intelligent robots, adaptive machines and interconnected energy systems ensured that record numbers attended the event. “More visitors, a greater international approach and an increased number of solutions. This provides an excellent summary of the HANOVER MESSE 2017”, explains Dr. Jochen Köckler, member of the Managing Board of Deutschen Messe AG. “During five days, Hanover in Germany, turned into the world capital for Industry 4.0. All sectors that operate in the digitalization industry presented solutions relating to the most important question currently facing the industrial sector: How do I ensure my company is fit for the digital future?” The trade fair certainly highlighted that Industry 4.0 is no longer a test area but specifically implements digitalization to benefit users. As everyone is aware, our time after the trade fair is our time to prepare for the next one, which will be in China, where we are presenting the WORLDOFINDUSTRIES. MDA Shenzhen is the international trade fair for drive and fluid power technology held in the South of China – co-located with with the Industrial Automation Shenzhen. It will not only allow us to gain a perspective of Asia but will enable us to visit the country, that with 9,000 visitors, was the most represented at the HANOVER MESSE. Digitalization will most definitely play an important role at these events too. We have also been making some digital progress and have finally generated a new website for you. At www.world-of-industries.com you will now always be able to access the latest news, products and applications relating to drive and fluid power technology from markets around the world. So why don’t you take a quick look and don’t miss out on the excellent and inspiring articles? Hope you enjoy reading all about it. Dirk Schaar Editorial Director Krister Sandvoss Deutsche Messe AG Editors-in-chief: Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Dirk Schaar Email: d.schaar@vfmz.de Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Michael Pfister Email: m.pfister@vfmz.de Editorial board: Peter Becker B.A., Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Nicole Steinicke, Svenja Stenner Assistant editor: Svenja Stenner, Email: s.stenner@vfmz.de Design/layout: Sonja Schirmer, Doris Buchenau, Anette Fröder, Mario Wüst E-paper designer: Katja Rüdell Managing editor: Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Winfried Bauer Publishing house: Vereinigte Fachverlage GmbH Lise-Meitner-Str. 2, 55129 Mainz, Germany Commercial Register No.: HRB 2270, District Court of Mainz VAT-ID: DE149063659 Managing director: Dr. Olaf Theisen Publishing director: Dr. Michael Werner, Email: m.werner@vfmz.de Correspondent India: Sushen Haresh Doshi M.Sc. Advertising sales director: Beatrice Thomas-Meyer Email: b.thomas-meyer@vfmz.de Advertising sales managers: Oliver Jennen, Email: o.jennen@vfmz.de Andreas Zepig, Email: a.zepig@vfmz.de Sales representatives Austria Heinz-Joachim Greiner Email: verlagsbuero-greiner@vfmz.de France Marc Jouanny Email: marc-jouanny@wanadoo.fr Great Britain, Ireland Roberto Tondina Email: roberto@ts-communications.co.uk Italy, Switzerland Hermann Jordi Email: info@jordipublipress.de Sweden, Finland, Norway Malte Mezger Email: verlagsbuero-mezger@vfmz.de USA, Canada Bill Fox, Email: bfox@hfusa.com Advertising disposition: Annemarie Benthin, Email: a.benthin@vfmz.de In cooperation with: Hannover Fairs International GmbH Messegelände, 30521 Hannover, Germany Additional Partners: Fachverband Antriebstechnik im VDMA Fachverband Fluidtechnik im VDMA Fluid Power Association of India Moskauer Deutsche Zeitung Internet: www.world-of-industries.com 8 th year (2017)